1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to high stiffness passive structures, and particularly to damping techniques suitable for use with such structures.
2. Description of the Related Art
Structural elements are used for a myriad of purposes. Such elements often need to provide high stiffness; one class of structure system which exhibits extreme stiffness is made from metals such as aluminum or steel. Such structures are often subjected to vibration and shock. However, due to the structure's characteristic stiffness, it may lack sufficient damping capability to mitigate the vibration, which may result in the failure of the structure or any attached equipment.
Another class of structure system employs conventional visco-elastic (damping) materials to mitigate shock and vibration, but this can result in the structure having a stiffness which is inadequate to the needs of a major structural element.
Vibration suppression in many engineering systems is achieved via active control. Common active vibration control methods require the use of sensors and actuators (such as piezoceramic patches) in the system, and need additional input power to operate. However, most active vibration systems have high costs and are technologically complex, and may be impractical for use in difficult environments such as the open ocean.